diff --git a/backend/backend.c b/backend/backend.c
index 11845437..503b6b7d 100644
--- a/backend/backend.c
+++ b/backend/backend.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <wlr/util/log.h>
 #include "backend/backend.h"
 #include "backend/multi.h"
+#include "util/signal.h"
 
 #if WLR_HAS_X11_BACKEND
 #include <wlr/backend/x11.h>
@@ -32,6 +33,10 @@ void wlr_backend_init(struct wlr_backend *backend,
 	wl_signal_init(&backend->events.new_output);
 }
 
+void wlr_backend_finish(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
+	wlr_signal_emit_safe(&backend->events.destroy, backend);
+}
+
 bool wlr_backend_start(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 	if (backend->impl->start) {
 		return backend->impl->start(backend);
diff --git a/backend/drm/backend.c b/backend/drm/backend.c
index 17387423..2caf76bd 100644
--- a/backend/drm/backend.c
+++ b/backend/drm/backend.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ static void backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 		destroy_drm_connector(conn);
 	}
 
-	wlr_signal_emit_safe(&backend->events.destroy, backend);
+	wlr_backend_finish(backend);
 
 	struct wlr_drm_fb *fb, *fb_tmp;
 	wl_list_for_each_safe(fb, fb_tmp, &drm->fbs, link) {
diff --git a/backend/headless/backend.c b/backend/headless/backend.c
index 2617b812..875eb768 100644
--- a/backend/headless/backend.c
+++ b/backend/headless/backend.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ static void backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend) {
 		wlr_input_device_destroy(&input_device->wlr_input_device);
 	}
 
-	wlr_signal_emit_safe(&wlr_backend->events.destroy, backend);
+	wlr_backend_finish(wlr_backend);
 
 	free(backend->format);
 
diff --git a/backend/libinput/backend.c b/backend/libinput/backend.c
index a9150558..d57f129f 100644
--- a/backend/libinput/backend.c
+++ b/backend/libinput/backend.c
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ static void backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend) {
 		free(wlr_devices);
 	}
 
-	wlr_signal_emit_safe(&wlr_backend->events.destroy, wlr_backend);
+	wlr_backend_finish(wlr_backend);
 
 	wl_list_remove(&backend->display_destroy.link);
 	wl_list_remove(&backend->session_destroy.link);
diff --git a/backend/multi/backend.c b/backend/multi/backend.c
index e9ed74ec..7c74959e 100644
--- a/backend/multi/backend.c
+++ b/backend/multi/backend.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ static void multi_backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend) {
 	}
 
 	// Destroy this backend only after removing all sub-backends
-	wlr_signal_emit_safe(&wlr_backend->events.destroy, backend);
+	wlr_backend_finish(wlr_backend);
 	free(backend);
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/noop/backend.c b/backend/noop/backend.c
index 67744262..7bdda051 100644
--- a/backend/noop/backend.c
+++ b/backend/noop/backend.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ static void backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend *wlr_backend) {
 		wlr_output_destroy(&output->wlr_output);
 	}
 
-	wlr_signal_emit_safe(&wlr_backend->events.destroy, backend);
+	wlr_backend_finish(wlr_backend);
 
 	wl_list_remove(&backend->display_destroy.link);
 
diff --git a/backend/wayland/backend.c b/backend/wayland/backend.c
index e05a13a0..0365aab2 100644
--- a/backend/wayland/backend.c
+++ b/backend/wayland/backend.c
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ static void backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 		wlr_input_device_destroy(input_device);
 	}
 
-	wlr_signal_emit_safe(&wl->backend.events.destroy, &wl->backend);
+	wlr_backend_finish(backend);
 
 	wl_list_remove(&wl->local_display_destroy.link);
 
diff --git a/backend/x11/backend.c b/backend/x11/backend.c
index 8999912d..17b8b7c0 100644
--- a/backend/x11/backend.c
+++ b/backend/x11/backend.c
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ static void backend_destroy(struct wlr_backend *backend) {
 
 	wlr_input_device_destroy(&x11->keyboard_dev);
 
-	wlr_signal_emit_safe(&backend->events.destroy, backend);
+	wlr_backend_finish(backend);
 
 	if (x11->event_source) {
 		wl_event_source_remove(x11->event_source);
diff --git a/include/wlr/backend/interface.h b/include/wlr/backend/interface.h
index feed8d2d..529f8f87 100644
--- a/include/wlr/backend/interface.h
+++ b/include/wlr/backend/interface.h
@@ -29,5 +29,9 @@ struct wlr_backend_impl {
  */
 void wlr_backend_init(struct wlr_backend *backend,
 		const struct wlr_backend_impl *impl);
+/**
+ * Emit the destroy event and clean up common backend state.
+ */
+void wlr_backend_finish(struct wlr_backend *backend);
 
 #endif